Since its inception in 1999, Coachella has always had a flare for the extravagant, outrageous, and perhaps, most of all, the unexpected. Every year, artists pull out all the stops to make their mark on the iconic festival. Who could forget Prince’s rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep” in 2008 or Ariana Grande uniting the members of *NSYNC in 2019? Or better yet, the cultural moment that was Beychella? And it seems like this year was no different–featuring an abundance of unexpected guest appearances, fan-favorite artist covers, and memorable Coachella outfits. And while Weekend One seemed hard to beat, Weekend Two definitely made its own indelible mark in cherished Coachella history. 

Last Friday, Grammy Award-winning musician Bad Bunny took the stage as the first Latino solo artist to headline the festival with his historic two-hour performance. For Weekend 2’s set, not only did he play his popular hits (“Tití me preguntó,” “DÁKITI”, “Después de la playa”), but he also enlisted the help of some friends – Grupo Frontera, Ñengo Flow, and Jowell & Randy. The next day, on Saturday, K-Pop princesses Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa, who form BLACKPINK, took over the Coachella Main Stage with their explosive choreography and dramatic drone show. Their set marked another monumental moment for the festival as they became the first Korean artists to headline Coachella. Finally, on Sunday, late additions to the festival lineup – power throuple, Skrillex, Fred Again…, and Four Tet brought the whole thing to a close with their energetic set that included welcome samplings of Ice Spice’s “In Ha Mood,” Carly Rae Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe,” and most memeably, HOL!’s “Country Riddim.” 

Now that we’re a week out from the festival, and had time to recover from the desert heat, here are our favorite moments. 

Zendaya Joins Labrinth For “All For Us” and “I’m Tired”

A master of whirling basslines and psychedelic synths, Labrinth set the tone this weekend with his 60-minute set at the Mojave stage. The weekend prior, the Emmy-nominated “Euphoria” composer and songwriter invited Billie Eilish onstage, where the pair performed “ Never Felt So Alone” off his new album. Going into Weekend 2, the bar was already set particularly high, but in true Labrinth fashion, he topped it. Just a few minutes before his Weekend 2 set came to a close, Oscar-nominated actress Zendaya joined Labrinth on the stage for their song “All For Us.” And instantaneously, before Zendaya even had a chance to sing her first few lyrics, the whole crowd was in an uproar. Zendaya even shared on her Instagram later that night that she had “never heard screaming like that in my entire life, as soon as I turned the corner, I couldn’t hear anything but you guys. Thank you all for welcoming me back on stage with open arms.” 

And while this year’s performance at Empire Polo Club was Labrinth’s debut at Coachella, it also marked a special moment for Zendaya too, as it was her first live performance in seven years. Last week, the pair reconvened again for “The Feels,” a track that appears on Labrinth’s latest album, Ends & Begins. Featuring Labrinth’s classic hypnotic beats and Zendaya’s silky vocals, the pair document what it’s like to fall in love and the whirlwind of emotions that come with it. And while the actress has stepped away from music for a “number of reasons,” perhaps this performance in the desert indicates that there’s more to come.  

LP Giobbi Brings Up the Energy

The following day, the Oregon-born, Los Angeles-based musician, LP Giobbi (Leah Chisholm), lit up the Yuma tent. Under the iconic disco shark, she performed an electrifying set that sent the AM festival crowd into a dizzy. Armed with a host of instruments, including a piano, synth bass, and drum machine, she mixed live elements into her high-energy set on Sunday. And following the spirit of Coachella, there were some crazy surprises here, too – towards the end of the set, Leah played mixed a SOFI TUKKER song, to which the electronic duo made a surprise appearance at the front of the stage, dancing along with the artist. Phones went up to record the sweet moment as a collective wave of screams took over the tent, setting the tone for the final festival day. 

It’s been quite the year for the forward-thinking artist who has already taken over festivals across the country and reimagined Marriott Bonvoy’s “Roam Around the World” campaign track. As W Hotels’ North America Music Director, Leah led a slew of emerging musical talents as they modernized and covered The B-52’s representative track, “Roam.” The tune hit a new note as each rendition modernized the track in unexpected ways, embodying the spirit of a different Marriott Bonvoy hotel brand. And with this new campaign, Marriott Bonvoy inspires travelers to seek out new experiences by weaving curated offerings and programs into the overall hotel experience. Think of a complimentary signature drink upon arriving at a Moxy or booking an on-site studio session while checking into a W Hotel. By looking outside the box of traditional hospitality amenities, Marriott Bonvoy is disrupting the status quo, creating new programs tailored for the travel thrill seekers and forward thinkers. And with Leah at the helm, embodying this sense of adventure and wanderlust with her music, who wouldn’t follow along?

Giolì & Assia Take Over Do LaB

Meanwhile, at Do LaB, several electronic artists were having their own party. In the coming years, the Do LaB tent has come to be one of the coolest places to hang out and find your new favorite musicians. Skrillex, Major Lazer, Rüfüs du Sol – most notably, ODEZA this year – are some of the musicians that have surprised audiences with thrilling sets in the past. And unlike the rest of the festival, the tent’s lineups are announced less than a month before the festival’s first weekend, building up the hype for the weekend to come. This weekend, the Brothers Macklovitch (A-Trak and Chromeo’s Dave1), Mikey Lion, and our new favorite duo, Giolì & Assia, made an appearance. 

“Coachella was the wildest and most fashionable festival we’ve ever experienced,” gushed the Italian-based musicians. “We loved all the surprise appearances and the energy people have at this festival, there’s just a different vibe you can feel, and the Do LaB is the perfect spot for devoted lovers of the more house and melodic techno styles.” Carefully blending techno, indie, and pop, the pair brought down the house with their intricate mixes and beats. Throughout the set, Assia utilized her stirring vocals while Giolì’s expertly handled the piano and drums beats. 

WILLOW Invites Brother Jaden Smith Onstage

WILLOW, better known as Willow Smith, took the stage on Sunday to perform her fan-favorite hits: “Transparent Soul” and “Falling Endlessly.” The singer then surprised the audience, bringing her brother Jaden Smith as a special guest. They performed their dream collab track, “Summertime in Paris.” Afterwards, the siblings brought their tender relationship to the forefront, praising each other, with Jaden saying how proud he was to watch Willow playing on such a big stage while Willow called him her favorite person.

“Willow, I look up to you. You’re an amazing person. You’re an amazing artist,” Jaden said to his sister after their song came to a close. “It brings tears to my eyes as your brother to see you do this. I’m so inspired and happy for what you’re doing in the world, and the amount of people’s lives that you’re changing and the music that you’re making.” Shortly after the surprise appearance, WILLOW brought it home with her viral track, “Meet Me At Our Spot.” And while collaborator Tyler Cole did not come out onstage, WILLOW proved she was more than capable of performing it on her own. 

Kaytranada and Friends

In other exciting surprise guest news, H.E.R. joined her “Intimidated” collaborator, Kaytranada, Friday night. The pair turned The Outdoor Theatre into a disco by playing their hit song, which was full of modern and retro funk, soul, and house beats. And just when the crowd thought it was over, the Canadian-based musician then went on to bring Tinashe and then Anderson .Paak. In front of a large silver head of Kaytranada, Tinashe arrived in a knit green crop top and matching bucket hat to perform “The Worst In Me” from Kaytranada’s 2019 album, Bubba. And after that, Kaytranada and Anderson. Paak threw it all the way back to 2016 for a performance of “Glowed Up” from 99.9%. 

This dynamic performance proved that whether alone or with friends, Kaytranada doesn’t miss. And in the coming weeks, he’ll have even more for his musical arsenal. Next month, he teams up with Aminé to release a new joint album, Kaytraminé. The two artists have been linked since 2014, when Aminé turned Kaytranada’s 2013 single “At All” into his remixed version, “Not At All.” And shortly after, Aminé enlisted Kaytranada’s help for his 2015 mixtape Calling Brio. Now, after all these years, the duo has officially teamed up on a full-length album.